Curry College
Curry College partnered with Carnegie to launch a psychographic-targeted Snapchat campaign, boosting undergrad leads. The strategy drove 88% of conversions through Snap and achieved an 89% lower CPA than other channels, illustrating the power of psychographic targeting and smart creative.
- Brittnei Sherrod, Social Media Associate, Carnegie
Today’s reality: High schoolers aren’t flipping through college brochures or watching daytime TV. To reach Gen Z, you need to be where they are.
For Curry College, a private liberal arts school just outside Boston, that meant stepping up their digital game. With more than 90 academic programs and a diverse student population, Curry sought a way to connect with students in a meaningful and measurable way.
Partnering with Carnegie, the duo set out to boost undergraduate interest with a modern strategy fit for the scroll-happy, story-watching Snapchat generation. But blasting out generic ads wasn’t going to cut it. They needed precision, personalization, and a platform Gen Z actually engages with.
Curry and Carnegie leaned into Carnegie’s Darts segmentation tool, which sorts prospective students by psychographic data. Each type got its own custom Snapchat ad, complete with copy and visuals that clicked with their psychographic traits.
But the real magic came from Snapchat’s robust targeting. Using both geography and psychographics, Curry served psychographic-specific ads to regions with high concentrations of those specific traits … think of it as matchmaking, but for majors.
88% of undergraduate conversions came from Snapchat
Nearly 9 in 10 students who expressed interest did so via Snapchat’s native lead forms — proof that the right message on the right platform works.
89% lower cost per acquisition (CPA)
Compared to other channels, Snapchat delivered conversions at a fraction of the cost, making this campaign not only effective but wildly efficient.
Curry College’s success on Snapchat highlights a broader shift in how higher education institutions must rethink digital engagement. Today’s younger audiences expect content that not only resonates emotionally but also feels tailored to their identity and environment.
Leaning into psychographic targeting and personality-based messaging, Curry didn’t just grab attention — they built genuine interest. Their campaign shows that with the right data and a platform designed for real-time, visually driven interaction, brands can move beyond basic awareness and drive meaningful, measurable outcomes. And that Snapchat isn’t just a playground for memes and selfies. It’s a powerful, cost-effective recruitment engine when used strategically.
